5 Home Care Myths Busted

Home care is a service that allows elderly to live independently longer

There are so many myths and misconceptions when it comes to home care services and senior care providers that someone needs to address them. The article below is one such attempt at proving that home care is a service that’s needed and not just a hoax.

With baby boomers retiring at a rate of about 10,000 people a day with and with a life expectancy of 80-85 years it’s easy to see that these seniors will need help with their activities of daily life at some point in their life.

Sure, their spouses could help them until their health deteriorates as well and then their children could take over caring for their parents.

And some of them do but these adults have their own families to take care of. These adults are “sandwiched” between work, taking care of their kids and their aging parents. Needles to say they can’t provide the type of care needed for an extended period of time.

At some point in their life seniors would have to rely on home care services to maintain their independent life. With that being said, many of them would still not consider professional home care services because of the wide-spread misconceptions that I would try to debunk below.

Myth #1: Caretakers don’t care. Nothing can be further from the truth. Caregivers are paid to provide a service. If they don’t take good care of their elder patients they will be out of work soon.

Quite the opposite is true. For most providers of home care services this is not just a job but calling. Think about that – how hard it is to take care 12 hours a day for a person who is bed-bound? Would you do it regardless of how much you are being paid?

Home health care workers are trained to connect with their senior care recipients. But not only that – they are trained in a lot of other things that affect the quality of life as well. Some of them aspire to become nurses and doctors and taking care of the elderly is their way into the health care industry.

Myth #2: Home care for people who need help around the clock just doesn’t work. Home care services can be provided on hourly or weekly basis.

Some seniors need companionship and light housekeeping services a few hours a day twice a week while others require the services of a trained and experienced caregiver 24/7.

The only thing to keep in mind is that most home care agencies have a daily minimum of at least two hours.

Myth #3: When have a family caregiver, you don’t need the help of an outside one. In some cases, this is true but not always. As mentioned earlier family caregivers have families on their own and they need to go to work to provide for them.

But even if they don’t and their only job is to take care for an elderly relative or parent they need a break, too in to provide better care. This is called respite care and is a service offered by most home care agencies.

Myth #4: Home care is too expensive and only a few can afford it. I am the first one to agree that quality home care is not cheap. Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for.

However, there are a lot of different ways to pay for it and I would venture to say that almost everyone can afford to pay for the services of a in-home aide.

One thing to keep in mind is that the cost of care varies depending on where an individual lives as well as how much care is needed.

Also, there are government programs that pay for care when certain requirements are met. These requirements vary by state.

Another way to reduce the cost of home care is to hire a caregiver directly and not through an agency. This comes with its own set of disadvantages but is a way to pay for care.

Myth #5: Home care is only for people who can’t live alone. The contrary is true – hiring a home aide is a way for elderly people to maintain independence.

In-home aides could help with cleaning and cooking as well as going for a walk. This makes daily life easier. It also supports senior’s effort to live independently and not seeking help from family members.

Most caretakers are also trained to prevent common nonfatal injuries like falls and fractures which are the leading cause of death among those over 65. If it was only for that it would be worth it having a home aide.

As you can see home care is an important service that helps seniors live independently. No matter whether you go through an agency or hire a caregiver directly the main thing is to start thinking about the moment you will need help with daily activities and preparing for it.